Encourage Walking with Pennies

Many years ago when my son with cerebral palsy was just learning to walk (he was a toe-walker), another mom in a therapy waiting room suggested that I place pennies on the bottom on my son's shoes -  "like a tap dance shoes" she said - to help encourage my child to place his whole foot on the ground with each step.  At first I thought she was sort of being silly at the suggestion but the more I became desperate to get my son to place his WHOLE foot on the floor with each step the more I warmed up to the idea.  So I found an old pair of shoes and glued pennies to the toes and heels of the shoes, stuck them on my son, and placed him on our tiled bathroom floor where he could make the most noise.  At first I helped him take each step by placing his foot on the floor in a typical rocking motion and I would laugh at the sound to make it appear to be super-fun.  After only a few weeks I would find him in the bathroom with his shoes on walking with his feet in a typical - but still not perfect - pattern.  It was the progress I had hoped for and such an easy thing to do...today he still toe walks on occasion due to tightness but it is nothing like it used to be...and his little penny-decorated shoes are one of my greatest treasures. (submitted by MOM Lynette)